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Bread and Butter Pickles

Bread and butter pickles are one of my favorite cucumber pickles. I like a little red pepper in my pickles, but you can leave it out or add a little more. Ingredients:4 pounds pickling cucumbers1 large onion, quartered, sliced about 1/4-inch thickness1/3 cup kosher salt3 cups cider vinegar1 1/2 cups sugar1 teaspoon ground turmeric1/2 teaspoon celery seeds2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds, or use half pickling spices1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optionalPreparation:Wash cucumbers and cut off the ends. Slice crosswise into 1/8-inch slices. Toss in a large bowl with the salt and onion slices; cover with about 4 to 6 cups of ice cubes. Cover and let stand for 4 hours or refrigerate overnight.Prepare the boiling water bath. Add water to a large canner with rack and heat to about 180°. The water should be high enough to be at least 1 inch above the filled jars. I usually fill it about halfway and I keep a kettle or saucepan of water boiling on another burner to add to the canner as needed. Wash jars thoroughly and heat water in a small saucepan; put the lids in the saucepan and bring almost to the boil; lower heat to very low to keep the lids hot.

Drain the cucumber mixture. In a large pot (nonreactive) over medium heat, combine the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Add the drained cucumber mixture and bring to a boil. With a slotted spoon, loosely pack the vegetables in prepared jars. Ladle the liquid into jars, dividing evenly among the jars. With a clean damp cloth (I keep a little bowl or cup of the boiled water handy for this step), wipe away any drips around the rims of the jars then cover with 2-piece jar lids. A lid lifter comes in handy to get the flat lids out of the water, or you could use tongs. Adjust the screw on rings firmly but do not over-tighten. Place filled in the prepared boiling water bath, adding more hot water as needed to bring the water up to about 1 inch above the jars. Bring the water to a boil. Cover and continue boiling for 10 minutes. Lift the jars out of the water and place on a rack to cool.

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Stan Bush's (Me) passions are marketing, music, research, reading, writing and listening. I provide various consulting services, as well as hands on implementation for proof of concept. I began writing Surfin With Stan in 1994 and was published in various Knight-Ridder newspapers. I am self employed. Sales Training And Networking on Google+

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Stan Bush is President of Sales Training And Networking, a professional IT company in Middle Georgia. S.T.A.N. provides support, guidance, and implementation for small to mid-size businesses. S.T.A.N. has provided services to many of the largest companies in Middle Georgia, including Governmental and Educational facilities as well as individuals. My clients come from referrals and those that find me online. Find S.T.A.N. on Google+